The blog of Marine Conservation Institute

Monthly Archives: March 2010

Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle Originally published on page E-10, Sunday, March 28, 2010. The rumor seemed to gain a life of its own in the blogosphere: President Obama was poised to ban sportfishing in America. The source of the misinformation was a column earlier this month on ESPNOutdoors.com, which quickly admitted to “several errors in … Continue reading Casting a wide net for an ocean rescue→

Abundant populations of the deep-sea spider crab Encephaloides armstrongi from c. 1,000 m (lower boundary OMZ) in the Gulf of Oman and the dead bodies of large upper-ocean jellyfish (Crambionella orsini) which can occur in plague proportions in the Gulf of Oman. (Credit: NOCS/NERC) Oxygen minimum zones Some regions of the deep ocean floor support … Continue reading Seabed biodiversity in oxygen minimum zones→

Derecha, a right whale spotted off St. Johns County, gave birth Saturday. (Photo taken under NOAA Scientific Permit No.948-1962 to UNC-Wilmington. Provided by University of North Carolina-Wilmington) It was only the second time a right whale’s birth has been seen and studied. Florida Times-UnionBy Steve Patterson. Posted March 23, 2010 Scientists surveying the area near … Continue reading Scientists watch whale’s birth near Navy training range→

An op-ed by MCBI President Elliott A. Norse: The 2010 Winter Olympics gave “The Great One,” hockey player Wayne Gretzky, the honor of lighting the Olympic Cauldron. Seeing him reminded me of his famous quote: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” As in hockey, success in … Continue reading An ocean policy for the future→

Fish dealers with bluefin tuna at a market in Tokyo on Thursday. (Photo: Koji Sasahara/Associated Press) The New York Times – By DAVID JOLLY and JOHN M. BRODER. Published: March 18, 2010 Delegates at a United Nations conference on endangered species in Doha, Qatar, soundly defeated American-supported proposals on Thursday to ban international trade in … Continue reading U.N. Rejects Export Ban on Atlantic Bluefin Tuna→

The best part about going to the beach is that it’s usually free. But, should it be? By: Danna Staaf | March 11, 2010 |Miller-McCune.com Economic models can illuminate the monetary value of beaches and mangroves, but if local people aren’t engaged in conservation, market forces — and coastal ecosystems — may be dead in … Continue reading Installing Meters at the Beach→

The new species of Grania discovered off the Gullmarsfjord. (Credit: Pierre De Wit) ScienceDaily (Mar. 8, 2010) — Between the grains of sand on the sea floor there is an unknown and unexplored world. Pierre De Wit at Gothenburg University knows this well, and has found new animal species on the Great Barrier Reef, in … Continue reading →

Photo / Richard Robinson By Kathy MarksNew Zealand HeraldMarch 10, 2010 SYDNEY – Everyone likes a bit of pampering now and again – and sharks and manta rays are no exception. The feared ocean fish congregate in reef “salons” to be groomed by smaller fish, researchers have discovered. And instead of being eaten during the … Continue reading Sharks queue at underwater beauty salon→